Venetian blind hanger



Aug. 25, 193%.

G. F. BRENT VENETIAN BLIND HANGER Filed Oct. 24, 1955 FEE-z I m INVENTOR 5 2 26M; 8Y6 M/WW ATTORN EYS Patented Aug. 25, 1936 aeszs'za UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE VENE'HAN BLIND HANGER George F. Brent, Pittsburgh, Pa.

Application October 2t, 1935, Serial No. 46,560

8 Claims.

The invention relates to Venetian blinds, and particularly the flexible hangers or ladder tapes, by means of which the slats of such blinds are suspended in vertical alignment.

As is known in the art, a hanger or ladder tape comprises a pair of elongate, relatively narrow side-members that are interconnected by a series of cross-members. The cross-members are spaced at uniform intervals longitudinally of the side-members. In service two or more hangers are secured in horizontally spaced relation to a head-bar, and extend vertically downward therefrom in parallelism. The cross-members of the several hangers are aligned horizontally, and provide support for the slats of the blind structure; In the usual hanger the side-members and crossmembers are formed of woven cotton tapes, and integration of the members is efiected by interweaving the ends of the cross-tapes into the fabric bodies of the side-tapes. The hangers, as so constructed, are of the desired neat appearance, and serve well in their intended capacity, but certain disadvantages have been found. For example, the hangers are expensive to manufacture, and adequate manufacturing facilities do not exist in this country at the present time to meet the demand for hangers oi the specialized construction mentioned. Most of the hangers used are obtained from foreign markets. Additionally, the existing types of fabric hangers tend to shrink and to become distorted when they are washed, with the consequence and efi'ect that the desired symmetry of the slats cannot be obtained in a cleansed and reassembled blind structure.

My object is to provide a hanger structure which may be more economically produced--a hanger structure which lends itself to the mass production methods advantageously employed in this country. And I further aim to produce a fabric hanger structure which will not shrink when washed.

In the accompanying drawing Fig. I is a fragmentary view in side elevation of a Venetian blind hanger embodying my invention; Fig. H isa view in front elevation of the same; Fig. m is a fragmentary, sectional view, taken on the plane IIIIII of Fig. I; and Fig. IV is a view in plan of one of the cross-pieces of my hanger.

The hanger of my invention includes two elongate, relatively narrow, flexible side members I and 2; the side members are adapted to extend in parallelism, and are transversely interconnected at uniformly spaced-apart intervals by cross-members 3. As shown in Fig. IV, each cross-member 3 is advantageously of a general H-shape, providing flared portions 3a, 3d at its opposite ends. In assembly the flared ends of the cross-member are bent from the plane of the in termediate body portion 3b-the cross-arm of 5 the H, and the bent-aside portions are severally secured to the inner faces of the side-members l and 2. The members i, 2 and 3 may be made of any flexible strip material having substantial tensile strength, and a material which will admit 10 of stitching in a sewing machine. Advantageously, I form such members of cotton fabric of well-known sort, and run a line of stitching t along each of the opposite edges of each sidemember. As illustrated in Figsll and III, the 15 lines 6, ii of stitching extending continuously along the edges of the side-members catch the flared portions 30,, 3a of the cross-members, and serve securely to unite the cross-members at their opposite ends to the side-members. manner, I provide a Venetian blind hanger which may be constructed economically-a hanger which may be assembled by means of rapidly operating sewing machines of well-known sort.

It will be noted that the stitching employed 5 is of the loose serpentine type, as distinguished from the ordinary tight rectilinear type of stitching. The advantages of this are two-fold: First, the serpentine stitching affords greater flexibility in the structure, and, when the hanger is in serv- 30 ice and subject to varying humidity and temperature, I have found that such stitching does not tend to warp or distort the side-members l and 2. Second, the serpentine stitching extending continuously along the opposite edges of 35 the'side-members does not detract from the neat appearance of the hanger, but rather lends an artistlc symmetry to it.

As has been already mentioned, the members i, 2 and 3 of the structure are formed of fabric type. In refinement and elaboration of such commonly used tape, I provide a type of relative- .ly closely woven cotton, and impregnate it with pyroxylin, in the manner in which certain types of window-shade cloth are now impregnated. I have found that the hanger made of such chemically treated tape is sturdy and resistant to distortion and warpage, while having the desired flexibility, and capacity to fold upon itself, when the Venetian blind structure embodying the hanger is raised and its slats drawn together. And of further importance, my hanger may be washed without shrinking.

One thing more: Each cross-member 3 may be perforated, as indicated at to in Fig. IV.

In such 20 Thus, provision is made for the usual cords (not members I and 2 in the assembled blind structure.

I claim as my invention:

1. A Venetian blind hanger including two elongate, relatively narrow, flexible side-members adapted to extend in parallelism and being transversely interconnected by cross-members in spaced relation, and a line of stitching extending longitudinally of each side-member and securing the opposite ends of a plurality of said crossmembers to said side members in such relation.

2. A Venetian blind hanger including two elongate, relatively narrow, flexible side-members adapted to extend in parallelism and being transversely interconnected by cross-members in spaced relation, and a line of stitching extending longitudinally of each of the opposite edges of each side-member and securing the opposite ends of a plurality of said cross-members to said sidemembers in such relation.

3. A Venetian blind hanger including two elongate, relatively narrow, flexible side-members adapted to extend in parallelism and being transversely interconnected by cross-members in spaced relation, said cross-members being flared at their opposite ends, and the flared portions being secured by stitching to the side-members, to secure said cross-members in such relation.

4. A Venetian blind hanger including two elongate, relatively narrow, flexible side-members adapted to extend in parallelism and being transversely interconnected by cross-members in spaced relation, said cross-members being flared at their opposite ends, and a line of stitching extending longitudinally of each side-member and catching the flared portions of said cross-members, whereby a plurality of said cross-members is secured to said side-members in such relation.

5. A Venetian blind hanger including two elongate, relatively narrow, flexible side-members adapted to extend in parallelism and being transversely interconnected by cross-members in spaced relation, the opposite ends of said crossmembers including flared portions, and a line of stitching extending longitudinally of each of the opposite sides of each side-member and catching each flared end of the cross-members at two points, whereby a plurality of said cross-members is secured to said side-members in said spaced relation.

6. A Venetian blind hanger including'two elongate, relatively narrow, flexible side-members adapted to extend in parallelism and being transversely interconnected by cross-members in spaced relation, said side-members being formed of fabric chemically impregnated to resist distortion and shrinkage during washing, and said cross-members being flared at their opposite ends and secured to said side-members in said relation.

7. A Venetian blind hanger including two elongate, relatively narrow, flexible side-members adapted to extend in parallelism and being transversely interconnected by cross-members in spaced relation, said side-members and crossmembers being formed of chemically impregnated fabric for the purpose described, and the several members being united in assembly by lines of stitching extending longitudinally of said side members.

8. A Venetian blind hanger including two elongate, relatively narrow, flexible side-members adapted to extend in parallelism and being transversely interconnected by cross-members in spaced relation, and lines of serpentine stitching extending longitudinally of said side-members and catching the opposite ends of said crossmembers, to secure the several members in said assembly.

GEORGE F. BRENT. 

